I've had a small tub of cream cheese sitting in my refrigerator for over two months now, I can't make it disappear fast enough! The thought of making cheesecake has crossed my mind, but I don't have the energy to put into such a task, nor do I have to correct pans. Instead, I settled on making Black Bottom Cupcakes; they looked easy and I remembered being impressed the first time I'd ever tried one.
The cake part of this cupcake is delicious! It is dense, with just the right amount of give, and perfectly chocolate-y. I would search around for a different cream cheese topping recipe though; this one was unsatisfying. However, it could be because I cut the recipe in half and had to estimate the amount of egg I used.

Here is the recipe, courtesy of David Lebovitz:

Black-Bottom Cupcakes
(makes 12 cupcakes)

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
5 T natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 T white or cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract

First, make the filling by beating together the cream cheese, granulated sugar and egg until smooth. Stir in the chopped chocolate pieces.
Adjust the rack to the center of the oven, preheat 350 degrees. Spray or butter a 12-cup muffin tin.
In a medium bowl sift together the flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients, stirring until just smooth.
Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Spoon a few tablespoons of the filling into the center of each cupcake, dividing the filling evenly.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until the tops are slightly golden brown and cupcakes feel springy when gently pressed.
Let cool, then carefully remove from the muffin tin.

Labels: chocolate, cream cheese, cupcakes